London 2012 Mascot Designs

Have you seen the mascot designs for the London 2012 games? Turns out the design team in London is going for a very progressive look. The 2012 Olympic mascots depart from safe territory and take a big risk with their complexity and futuristic feel. Apparently one of the main motivators for the look and feel of these mascots was the design to engage with a younger audience.

Official 2012 mascot design team

Behind every design decision in the world are people who make those choices. Some of them have actual reasons, some of them are just made up after the fact. We’re not sure what the case was with the mascot design team at London 2012 but this is what they had to say:

“During our bid to host the 2012 Games, London promised to connect young people with the power of the Games and in doing so inspire them to choose sport. On our journey to London 2012 we believe that our mascots will be one of the most powerful ways for us to connect with young people and deliver this vision.”

London 2012 Olympic mascot designs

If that was the goal then I would say job well done. These two mascots embody quicksilver brought to life with their metallic skins and trim.

They almost feel like a hot new gadget like a cell phone or iPod.

What’s behind these mascots?

In true Olympic fashion when you have millions at your disposal to get jobs done, a back story was created to give relevance and reason to the existence of these two metallic buddies.

Check out the video of their grand tale here and tell us what you think in the comments.

Do you like Wenlock and Mandeville? What would you have done differently?